If you are not familiar at all with The Tale of Genji, the book or any adaptation then you'll probably have a hard time watching this movie. The original story is difficult to understand and almost unrelatable to some. This movie is even more difficult to understand because the narrative is very minimalist, centered in just some few passages of Prince Genji's story and all the rest is up to the viewer. There are several buddhist concepts added to the story and a lot of symbolism was adopted to the point to turn this anime into something completely encripted for those who have no knowledgement about japanese culture.
Even so, the anime is a masterpiece. It's beautiful, very well animated and it's a classic not only for the theme chosen but because how it was made, almost completely handmade(1987). Even if you don't completely understand the story, you are not wasting your time.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder
If you are not familiar at all with The Tale of Genji, the book or any adaptation then you'll probably have a hard time watching this movie. The original story is difficult to understand and almost unrelatable to some. This movie is even more difficult to understand because the narrative is very minimalist, centered in just some few passages of Prince Genji's story and all the rest is up to the viewer. There are several buddhist concepts added to the story and a lot of symbolism was adopted to the point to turn this anime into something completely encripted for those who have no knowledgement about japanese culture. Even so, the anime is a masterpiece. It's beautiful, very well animated and it's a classic not only for the theme chosen but because how it was made, almost completely handmade(1987). Even if you don't completely understand the story, you are not wasting your time.